The Science Stuff

There’s a lot of interesting work undertaken before you can buy a pack of wipes. Nonwoven material has to be manufactured, optimal lotion for the wipe has to be selected, and then the wipes have to be packaged before being distributed to shops and stores. Find out more about these processes in our articles below.

Do you know the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting?

Posted by: Andrew Charleston on Oct 10 2017

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One of Suominen’s experts answers some of the most popular questions about wipes.

Where do germs live? What’s the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting? Why are wipes so important for cleaning around the house? We spoke to Andrew Charleston, one of Suominen’s experts, to answer all these questions.

Which are the most common places for bugs and germs to hide in your house?

The kitchen and bathroom are particularly happy homes for germs and bacteria, so it’s always important to take care of the surfaces in those areas. Children’s play areas are also prone to becoming germ hotspots, and bacteria accumulate quite quickly. Other items, like door knobs, sinks, faucet handles, cutting boards and kitchen sponges or dish clothes are also breeding grounds for nasty germs.

What’s the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting?

You often see these terms used interchangeably but actually sanitizing and disinfecting have some notable differences. In sanitizing, the cleaning formula destroys 99.9% of bacteria within 30 seconds, whereas in disinfecting the formula kills all organisms within 10 minutes. Both sanitizing and disinfecting are different from regular cleaning, since they do more than remove surface soils. You can find out more by clicking here.

Which three areas do you recommend that you sanitize and disinfect regularly at home?

Kitchen areas should be sanitized since killing germs quickly is essential for surfaces that may come into contact with food. Also, children’s toys are prime targets for sanitizing since young children do like to put toys in their mouths!

Wipes hold and release disinfecting formulas well, allowing the solution to cover surfaces more efficiently than cloths, which makes them very useful for household cleaning. Not only that, but they’re very convenient too and we know that consumers love that they’re easy to use and they save time.

Are the chemicals and lotions used in household wiping products being changed or developed?

Chemicals and lotions must not only be effective in killing germs but they must also be safe on surfaces and not pose a hazard to consumers’ skin or their breathing. Quaternary ammonium compounds are very common in household cleaning chemicals but there is currently a great deal of interest in developing eco-friendly cleaning agents.

How do developments and advances in the production of wipes translate into the products you can buy in stores today?

Wipes producers are continually evaluating different material substrates and how they work with the range of formulas available. This testing is incredibly important in developing products so that they have the right balance of cleaning performance, durability and help the consumer save time.